


you know it's sink or swim

by chatsdelune (greymooses)



Series: 30 days of svt [27]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: 30 Days of Writing, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Bickering, Friends to Lovers, Lee Jihoon | Woozi Is Bad At Feelings, M/M, Yoon Jeonghan is a Little Shit, half sickfic/half jeonghan is a hoe and woozi is in more denial than i was about biasing him, i only use hoe in the most adoring way possible, loose definition of friends tbh, vernon is Tired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:08:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27577628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greymooses/pseuds/chatsdelune
Summary: "what's wrong with this one?" jihoon asks."nothing, i just thought you might miss me.""you caught me. this interaction is the only thing that will get me through the week.""and he's not you," jeonghan deadpans. it's his most frequent excuse. jihoon never buys it.(or: you live across the hall and hide in my apartment when you want to avoid your one night stands)
Relationships: Chwe Hansol | Vernon & Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Lee Jihoon | Woozi/Yoon Jeonghan
Series: 30 days of svt [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949296
Comments: 12
Kudos: 97





	you know it's sink or swim

**Author's Note:**

> ... i don't want to talk about why i wrote jeonghan _again_. this was supposed to be shorter and done yesterday and then [things happened](https://twitter.com/SVT_Fancafe/status/1327585784614903808). also everything is starting to feel like something i've written before? so that's pretty cool haha.
> 
> prompt: you live across the hall and hide in my apartment when you want to avoid your one night stands

jihoon has this neighbor.

except on mornings like this one, he's not sure if he's a neighbor or a roommate that he only sees once or twice a week, because said neighbor has made himself at home at jihoon's kitchen table with a bowl of cereal.

"i thought i told you not to pick my lock anymore."

"i thought i told you to get a chain. you have no idea who could walk into your place."

jihoon would, if he didn't secretly enjoy this. the only reason jeonghan breaks into his apartment this early is when he's avoiding someone he brought home the night before. it's entertaining. he grabs a bowl and spoon from the drying rack next to the sink and brings them to the table.

"what's wrong with this one?" he asks.

"nothing, i just thought you might miss me."

"you caught me. this interaction is the only thing that will get me through the week."

"and he's not you," jeonghan deadpans. it's his most frequent excuse. jihoon never buys it.

"funny."

jeonghan shrugs.

they both hear a door close in the hall. jihoon stands and goes to check the pad near his door with the building buzzer and video feed. "dark hair, pointy nose, white hoodie?"

"sounds about right."

"do you even know this one's name?"

jeonghan is quiet for a second too long. it's obvious he doesn't remember. jihoon sighs.

"i'm going to shower. lock it on your way out."

"need any help?"

"not from you."

***

he's late to the studio. he had set up a brainstorming session with vernon, and he probably won't care, but jihoon does.

he finds vernon in the small kitchen area — coffee maker, microwave, electric kettle and a small fridge — cleaning up takeout containers he probably brought from home.

"sorry, neighbor held me up this morning."

"the one that breaks into your place?" vernon asks.

"yeah."

"i hope you're being literal."

"first of all, his arms wouldn't be able to do it. second, ew."

"if you say so."

the problem isn't that jeonghan will sleep with anything that moves — jihoon's sexual history isn't exactly squeaky clean — or isn't objectively attractive, but he has very little interest in being a notch on the belt of someone he has to _see_ on an almost daily basis.

"can we just get to work?"

"i have a few ideas, yeah. i'll be in the studio."

jihoon rubs small circles into his temples. it's going to be a long day.

***

he gets home late, too. he got a lot done with vernon, and he's pretty happy with everything, but his shoulders and neck are sore. all he wants is a hot shower and his bed. he definitely doesn't want to run into jeonghan coming home with his latest conquest's arm draped around his shoulders. especially not when jeonghan is giggling in the fakest way possible.

he's wearing a choker. it's infuriating.

"oh, jihoonie. you're coming home late." he turns to his… friend, or whatever, and says, "seungcheollie, this is my neighbor."

jihoon couldn't care less about being introduced to someone he'll never see again, but at least he can remind jeonghan of the guy's name in the morning.

"nice to meet you, i'm sure," jihoon mutters, finally getting the building door unlocked. he doesn't bother holding it open. if it shuts on _seungcheollie's_ hand, that's really not his problem. doesn't seem to, though, because jeonghan's stupid giggle follows him all the way up three flights of stairs. he gets his apartment door unlocked, says, "have a good night, you two," and slips inside before he can get a reply.

he lies awake for longer than usual, wondering why it bugs him so much.

***

jeonghan didn't break in the next morning. hasn't, for over a week. not that jihoon has been counting.

he's awake but barely alive, filling his electric kettle for tea that will taste like nothing but hopefully soothe his throat because it's currently on fire. he hears the lock being messed with but has no energy to care, and soon enough jeonghan strolls in wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, like he's done absolutely nothing wrong. he's clearly startled to see jihoon — fully deer-in-the-headlights about the situation.

he'd laugh if it wouldn't send him into a horrible coughing fit.

"was starting to think you had solved your commitment issues," jihoon greets. it comes out as a barely audible, broken croak. he lands in a chair at his table to wait for the water to boil. standing is overrated.

"not until you agree to date me. you're aware you're half naked, right?"

jihoon is shirtless, because jihoon has a fever and isn't currently suffering from chills. they'll probably be back in a few minutes, if the pattern from the last twelve hours holds up.

"sweat through my clothes last night. you're lucky i'm wearing shorts. this is my apartment, by the way."

"you sound like shit."

jihoon glares.

jeonghan ignores him and moves to the kitchen. he helps himself to cereal, as usual — stands leaning back against the counter to start eating it. "how long have you been sick?" he asks between spoonfuls.

"i don't know. what's today?"

"tuesday."

jihoon tries to come up with an answer, but the days of the week are honestly more than he can think about right now, so he just shrugs. the kettle clicks off and he's about to stand, but jeonghan makes a disapproving noise. he puts his bowl down and pours water into the mug jihoon had gotten ready.

"you don't have to help me," he grumbles. half the words get lost.

"hush. i'm here and you look pathetic, which i never thought i'd say to someone with abs like that," he says, then starts digging through cupboards like he owns the place. "do you have honey?"

jihoon points to a different cupboard. as much as he hates this, everything kind of hurts, so whatever. he'll worry about feeling like he owes jeonghan later. he closes his eyes for some unknown period of time, but eventually a mug is placed in front of him.

and his chills are back.

jeonghan grabs a blanket from the nest he'd made on the sofa and drapes it loosely around his shoulders. it's kind of sweet, and then ruined when he washes his hands immediately.

willing to take care of him? yes. willing to get sick himself doing it? no.

somehow that takes all the romance out of it. not that jihoon is thinking there should be romance. he's pretty sure, at least. who knows, really.

the tea is nice, though.

jeonghan washes his bowl and spoon, humming to himself over the sound of the water. he never washes his dishes. he also grabs the trash can and cleans stray tissues and cups off the coffee table before washing his hands again.

jihoon gives him the worst _i'm going to murder you in your sleep_ look he can manage. "are you sure your guest is still alive? did you check for a pulse?"

"i'm good in bed and everything, but i don't think my ass could kill someone." as if on cue, there's noise in the hall. jeonghan visibly relaxes. "you're not going to fall and crack your head open if i leave you alone, right?"

"i'm sick, not a toddler."

jeonghan smirks at him, says "feel better, jihoonie," and then he's gone.

***

the next afternoon, he wakes up and finds a note on the table.

_you look less mean when you're asleep._  
_soup from your favorite place in the kitchen. ♡_  


he drags himself, blanket around his shoulders, to the kitchen and finds the soup is still warm enough. he also finds a clean mug with a tea bag already in it, his honey, and a full kettle ready to turn on.

he's sick. he still has a fever. it's the only reason he could possibly be getting emotional over something so stupid.

***

he does feel better — physically — eventually, after three more days of hushed voices and giggling drifting through his door from the hallway late at night when he's _trying_ to watch infomercials. he wasn't aware of how annoying it is until he took up residence on his sofa to be closer to the kitchen. at least their apartments are across from each other instead of sharing a wall.

jeonghan doesn't show up before he heads to the studio, so his fling must've left when he was still asleep like a normal person. great.

thirty minutes into working on a track, with minor bumps and disagreements with vernon here and there, jihoon is ready to pull his hair out. uncharacteristically, honestly, given how minor the problems are. vernon notices.

"are you sure you're feeling okay?"

jihoon sighs. "my fever's gone. i'm not going to get you sick, if that's what you mean."

vernon taps his pen against his notebook of lyric ideas and leans back in his chair like the damn therapist he'll eventually be.

"you know it isn't."

"he's annoying," jihoon offers.

"why?"

"what do you mean why? i slept on my couch for three days and heard him bringing home a different guy every night. very disruptive. i might've been better a whole day earlier if he wasn't such a hoe."

vernon is quiet for what feels like forever. jihoon stares him down, refusing to break eye contact first, because that might imply he's full of shit.

"right," he finally says.

jihoon scoffs. "just say what you want to say, since you don't believe me."

"you're jealous."

"hilarious," jihoon replies defensively.

vernon shrugs. "sometimes therapy is about hearing things you don't want to hear. you bitch about him all the time."

"yeah, usually because he wakes me up at ass o'clock."

"do you remember when he bleached his hair? because i do. you complained about how stupid it looked for days."

jihoon does remember. it did look stupid, especially when it was longer and messy from all the sex and sleeping on it, because showering before hiding in jihoon's apartment wasn't really an option.

maybe he's used to it now.

"he wasn't wrong when he said you could get a lock that he can't pick, either," vernon continues. "but you haven't. so do you have a better explanation?"

jihoon spends a long time inspecting his computer keyboard. he needs to clean it. he hears vernon's pen scratching against his notebook.

well, fuck.

"i need to go," jihoon decides. he pulls his jacket on and grabs his keys.

"mm. i have a paper to write anyway," vernon muses. "i'll see you tomorrow?"

"yeah."

"good luck."

jihoon flips him off over his shoulder, but he says, "thanks."

***

he gets a copy of his apartment key made on his way home. it's incredibly stupid, but he's actually concerned about his lock at this point. surely it can't hold up to being picked on a regular basis for much longer before breaking or something. he'd rather not pay for his entire doorknob to be replaced.

and okay, maybe he has a crush on a hoe. which is so stupid and irrational and he hates himself, hates jeonghan for having the face he does and the wit he does and being a caring human being. at least with jihoon.

he knocks on jeonghan's door instead of going into his own apartment. the door opens almost immediately.

"are you alone?" jihoon snaps, because seeing his stupid face calms him down, and that's so _irritating._

"yeah, what's—"

"do you know what i did on my way home?" he asks, pushing jeonghan back into his apartment and shutting the door. "i got you a damn key, so you don't break my lock."

"a _key._ that's a pre-move-in gesture," jeonghan says, crossing his arms. he's trying to keep a straight face and failing, looks like he could crack and laugh at any second. "you haven't even taken me to dinner."

"you're the rich one. i'm not paying."

"is that you volunteering to go to dinner with me?"

"no," jihoon answers. a little too quickly. "yes. i don't know. shut up," he mumbles, suddenly less sure of everything he thought was true. the grain of the hardwood floor is super interesting.

jeonghan's feet enter his field of vision, and a finger lifts his chin.

"you can just admit you want to sleep with me."

jihoon rolls his eyes. "i assure you, the last thing i want right now is to sleep with you and be the guy waking up alone."

"who said you'd wake up alone?"

"i'm not sleeping with you."

"okay."

"okay?"

jeonghan shrugs. "thought we established that i wasn't committing to anyone because i was too into you. if you don't want to sleep with me yet, that's cool."

"you're serious."

"yep."

"you're so fucking annoying," jihoon growls, because he _is,_ and he's smirking, and ugh.

"i know," he agrees, but he takes a step forward. jihoon tugs lightly on his shirt. his hat ends up on the floor, and jeonghan leans down to kiss him.

he doesn't know what he expected, but he's pretty sure careful and reverent aren't two adjectives he would've put on the list. he's also pretty sure he's never been as comfortable as he's realizing he is with jeonghan. like he could be sick for days and jeonghan would do little things to tell him he's there if jihoon needs anything, but mostly stay out of the way. like he could say the sky is green and jeonghan would tell him he's an idiot, but he wouldn't feel like an idiot, because he'd probably kiss him like this before or after and then refer to the sky as green for the rest of time.

stupid feelings.

jeonghan pulls away, but keeps his arms hanging loosely around jihoon's back.

"i've been watching trashy movies all day. was going to order food. you have anywhere to be?"

"nope."

"would it count as taking you to dinner?"

jihoon shakes his head. "nope."

"another time, then."

"i should tell you i think the sky is green," jihoon deadpans. he doesn't, obviously.

jeonghan doesn't react, just presses his lips to his forehead and says, "okay, weirdo. what do you want to eat?"

**Author's Note:**

> i am unbelievably sick of writing endings lmao.


End file.
